//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2 
// Story: He Loved You 
// by StarLightStarBright 
//------------------------------//

	Twilight eyed the ground she was walking on with complete concentration. Using her magic, she surveyed a few feet underground for a special type of gem. She had found this spot a few times before on her observations of the area around Ponyville, and she praised herself on being the only pony in town to know about it. Even Rarity was unaware of it's location, for a special spell was needed to find these gems, and Rarity didn't know it. As far as Rarity knew, it was just a piece of land with nothing special underneath. Good thing Twilight knew better than to judge a book by it's cover.
"Come ooooon, Twilight. We've been walking forever already, are we there yet?" The already too impatient dragon was squirming on Twilight's back, looking for a new comfortable position to lay.
"First of all, Spike, I'm the one that's doing all of the walking. Secondly, I need some concentration to find something. As soon as I find it, I promise you'll get a surprise. Seem fair?"
Spike was somewhat interested at this new piece of information. "A surprise? What kind of surprise? Like a present or something?"
"Well, if you keep complaining about the trip, I won't give it to you. You need to stay absolutely quiet the rest of the way so I can find it, okay?"
"I knew there was a catch...fine. I'll stay quiet."
"Thank you. Now, I know we're close, so you don't have to wait much longer." She closed her eyes and continued her search. After several minutes of gem-hunting, she finally found what she was looking for: It was a small cluster of small, clear diamonds of every shape and size, intentionally buried in that spot. She had placed them there as a marker to show that she was directly above her secret spot. "Alright, Spike. We're here!"
Spike looked around. There was nothing out of the ordinary about this spot as far as he could see. Well, aside from the fact that nopony was there, it just looked like a grassy field outside of Ponyville. "So...Where's here? It's just a field..."
"Well, you can't see it now. It's about a hundred feet below us in the catacombs."
"Catacombs?"
"You know, underground caves? It's a place I found quite a while back after we bumped into those Diamond Dogs. Apparently, they had dug them, realized that they found something they didn't want, and simply kept moving. Lucky for me, they didn't have a clue what they found..."
"So...What did they find?"
"Instead of trying to explain it, how about I just show you?" A bright purple light surrounded the both of them as she performed a simple teleportation spell, sending them into the caves below.
"Okay, now what's so special about these cata--DEAR SWEET CELESTIA." Spike looked all around him and was in complete shock to find every wall and ceiling covered in completely clear diamonds and gems. The ground was the only thing not covered in them. "Twilight! What wizardry is this?!"
"See? I told you you'd be surprised."
"This is incredible! Why wouldn't the Diamond Dogs want all these diamonds?!"
"Well, I would say that because of their affinity for the luster of all gems, they walked right by these because they're clear and don't shine. To them, they may as well have been shards of glass. But when I stumbled across these caves after Rarity cleared them out with her 'complaining,' I saw a more scientific importance to the gems inside."
"Twilight, one does not simply stumble across this...this...I can't even describe this in words! I mean, just look at this place! I've never seen any of these gems before! What are they called? How do they taste?" He picked a big one out of the wall and picked off the dirt before bringing it to his mouth.
"Spike, I don't think you want to eat that just yet!" He stopped, with the gem only inches from his mouth.
"Well, why not? Nothing's wrong with it. Besides, this is my surprise, right?"
"Well, it's half of the surprise. You see, what you hold in your claws is called a 'No-Gem.'"
"A No-Gem?'"
"Yes, it's a very special type of gem with very special properties that takes a very special spell to find. These have been my secret for quite some time. Now go on, have a taste."
Spike bit into it and chewed for a bit. "...I don't taste anything..."
"Exactly! Now, what's your favorite of gem?"
"Oh, rubies! Rubies, for sure! Why?"
"Just watch what happens when I do..." Twilight used her magic to lift the rock out of his hand and high into the air, "This!" Without hesitation, the No-Gem began to change color and shape. Within seconds, it fell back into Spike's hand as a half-bitten ruby.
Spike couldn't say anything. He stared at the ruby in his hand, then up at Twilight, then back at the ruby. "Wha...But...It was just...HOW?"
Twilight giggled at the face he was making. It was as if he had gotten a present from Celestia herself. "That's the rest of the surprise. Come on, don't keep me in suspense! Eat it and tell me how it tastes."
Spike popped the rest into his mouth and his eyes lit up. "This is by far the greatest thing I've ever tasted in my life!"
"That is the wonder of the No-Gem, Spike, and I've only scratched the surface of their power. I'm glad you like them."
"Like them? I LOVE them! So you're the only pony who knows about these things?"
"I think so. I've read plenty of books on minerals, rocks, gems, et cetera, and I've never read anything in any library about them. I think I may be the only pony in all of Equestria who knows they exist. I wanted somepony else to know about it too, and...well, it is your special day and all."
"Well this is definitely an awesome surprise, Twilight. Can you make me more?"
"That's another reason why I brought you here, Spike. There are hundreds of thousands of No-Gems down here, just waiting to be studied. I know you said you didn't want me to have any obligations today, but I figured if I made you happy while I was studying, it wouldn't exactly be an obligation, persay. So, what would you say if I made a few different gems for you and documented some things about them and your reactions to them?"
Spike's smile could not get any bigger. He could help Twilight, spend time alone with her, and eat as much as he wanted to. "What would I say? I'd say get me a fist-full of opals, and you got yourself a deal!" With a handful of No-Gems, he climbed onto her back and she walked into the next cave opening to more untold, delicious wonders.

~*~*~

It was dark. And it wasn't an average everyday darkness. This was...advanced darkness. Spike couldn't see anything. "Where am I?" He reached around for something, he didn't know what, and eventually found metal walls all around him. From the curved feel of the tops of the walls, he felt like he was inside of an egg-like structure. He heard voices coming from the outside, but he couldn't tell exactly what they were saying. "Twilight?" The talking resumed, as if he hadn't said anything. "Twilight, is that you? What is this place? Where are you? I'm starting to get creeped out..." Again, he remained unheard. The panels underneath his feel began to light up, and magic began to flow into the chamber. Spike immediately felt the effects of it on his body; he saw his body getting smaller and smaller. He felt the spines on his head get shorter and he felt his scales get tighter. It didn't hurt, but it didn't feel good either. He screamed. It wasn't out of hope that somepony would rescue him when they heard it; it was out of fear that he knew that nopony would rescue him at all. He felt his vision blur and his thoughts melt away...

~*~*~

"Spike, please wake up!" He jolted up and opened his eyes. He was back in the caves, with Twilight standing over him. "Oh, thank Celestia, you're awake. I was so worried. Are you okay?"
Spike looked at his body. His legs and arms were the right size, his scales felt the same, and his spines were still the same height as they always were. "Yeah...I'm just fine now. How long was I out?"
"About an hour. You had fallen asleep after around your fourth amethyst, and you looked so peaceful. I left you alone for a minute to go explore and when I came back you were...well, you were scaring me. But now that you're awake, we need to leave, the sun's starting to go down, and that means these caves are going to get dark. Are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm sure, Twilight. Don't worry, it was just a dream..."
"...Well, in that case, want a ride up to the surface?" She lowered her back to let him jump on. "We'll talk about that nightmare of yours when we get home, but for now I'm going to chalk it up to a side effect to all of those No-Gems you ate."
"Right...Let's get outta here, the darkness is already spreading through the caves and creepin' me out..."
"Sure thing, Spike." They disappeared in one flash of light and reappeared in the fresh air of the surface in the next. It was dark, but there was just enough sunlight to see Ponyville from where they were. "Whoa, I didn't think we had been down there that long. The sun is almost fully set. And there's the moon, too. We'd better get home before Owlowicious gets too worried, right?" Twilight started walking at a brisk pace to get home before it got too dark to see.
Spike thought over the past few days. "You know, come to think of it, I haven't seen him lately. I wonder where the little guy is."
"You know owls, Spike. He's usually out collecting field mice and things of that nature at night. He's an independent creature when he wants to be."
He shrugged. "Oh well. Guess that gives us some peace from his constant chatter, huh?"
Twilight had to giggle at that. Owlowicious had been a bit talkative this past week, keeping Twilight and Spike up with him. "I guess it does. So, did you like your Assistant Appreciation Day today?"
"Oh, definitely! This was the best Assistant Appreciation yet! I think this year, I've really made a big step towards maturity. With your help, I finally got over my infatuation with Rarity, and I've actually gotten to keep my head clear of her for a while. Did you know I started actually reading the books in our library the other night?"
"Well, I've noticed you grow up lately, Spike. You really are becoming a big dragon now. I just hope you don't get too big and fly away from me anytime soon..." She didn't show her face to him, but from the slowing of her walk, Spike could tell that her remark saddened her to some deree.
"Don't worry about that, Twi. I won't ever leave. Not until you want me to, okay?"
She smiled at that. "But...what will you do when you eventually get too big for the library?"
"Well...I'll sleep outside, or somethin'. I'll make it work as long as I can keep you happy. Haven't I always tried to keep you happy?"
"Well, yes. But it's your job to make me happy. When you're older, you won't have to keep dusting my shelves or re-organizing my books. It won't be your job anymore..."
"What if the reason I made you happy all these years was because I wanted to, not because of a job requirement? You're my friend, Twilight, and I dust your shelves and re-organize your books and wake you up and make you breakfast and remind you of things all the time because...well, I really care about you."
Twilight stopped and thought about what he had just said. "...That's really sweet of you to say, Spike. I care about you too. And I know I don't say it as much as I really need to, but thank you for everything you do to help me out in my day. There's nothing I can do that sums up my appreciation for all that you do."
"Uh, isn't that what this day is all about? Heh heh..."
Her cheeks turned bright pink when she realized that he was right. "Oh. Right. I knew that...I was just testing you, is all..."
"Uh huh. Suuure you were, Twi."
"Hey, you've never called me 'Twi,' before..."
Spike blushed slightly and looked up at the sky at nothing much in particular. "Well, I hear Applejack call you that all the time, and it's a nice nickname and...Wow, the stars are bright tonight, don't you think?"
Twilight giggled as she looked up into the clear, blue night sky. The stars were indeed bright up there, brighter than they ever were looking through her telescope at home. "Well, Spike, the stars are always that bright. It's just that we don't see all of their light in Ponyville thanks to all of the lanterns that everypony lights at night. If only Ponyville knew to turn off their lanterns when they went to sleep, I'd be able to stargaze from my room more."
"So...Do you like stargazing?"
"Oh, I love stars. Stargazing is my favorite pastime, besides reading, of course. One of my dreams is to go up there and see the stars more closely...but I'm just a unicorn, so the telescope's fine with me..."
"I could take you up there. When I'm a grown-up dragon, I mean. When I get my wings, I could fly you up as high as you wanted to go so you can see every star in the galaxy."
"You'd do that for me?"
"Of course, Twi. I wouldn't be goin' anywhere else when I grow up, heh heh..."
"Hehehe, sure you wouldn't, Spike. But you know, it's funny; we've been rambling so much, I hadn't noticed we were already in Ponyville for quite a while now."
"Yeah, I know. There's the library. I can't wait to hop into bed and get a good night's sleep!"
"How can you be thinking about sleep at all? You've been napping all day long!"
"Twilight, you know I can never get too much sleep. How long have you known me?"
Twilight had finally gotten to the library's front door and used her magic to open it before walking inside. "Well, it has been a good twelve years now, hasn't it? I guess I should know that about now."
"I know, sheesh." He hopped off of her back and began to climb the stairs to his bed.
"Wait, we still haven't talked about that nightmare you had earlier!"
"Eh, it was just a bad dream, Twi. It's not worth talkin' about. You were right, it was a bad side effect from those 'No-Gem' thingies. Don't worry about me, I'm fine..." He yawned and continued his walk upstairs. At the top, he turned around and noticed that she was reaching for a book on an upper shelf. "You're not comin' to bed?"
"Not yet, Spike. I've got some things I need to catch up on. Since I didn't get to study at all today, I need to make up for it tonight."
"I guess that makes sense. What are you studying for tonight?"
"Oh, uhhh...nothing important. Heh heh..." She looked sheepishly at the book before placing it behind her back.
She had acted that way about that specific book for a while, now. But it was late and Spike's basket was calling out to him like never before, so he let it slide this time. "Okey dokey, then. G'night, Twi..."
"Goodnight, Spike..."

~*~*~*~*~*~

Dear Diary,

It's been a long day, and boy, do I have things to write about.

Firstly, Spike had a wonderful day today...At least he said he did. I wanted to make this day special for him since he wasn't able to have his night with Rarity. I wish I could talk with her about that tomorrow; if she knew how much Spike worked for her, how much he cared about her...well, it's in the past for Spike. I can't just bring that up with Rarity now that Spike is over it. I guess I just have to let sleeping dogs lie...
But I digress. Spike got to go see Joe this morning for breakfast, but beforehoof, I met Applejack and her sister at the market on the way. She told Spike that he could come to her with anything and she would help him through it. I really appreciate her for that. I know that she works hard enough as it is with her family and her problems, and she still wants to take Spike's problems into consideration. She truly cares for her friends. 
Anyway, at the donut shop, Spike and I finally had our talk about Rarity. He's really growing up so fast; he took a lot of things that I said to heart and he's giving up on his infatuation with her. I'm proud of him for making that decision for himself, not because I asked him to. That took a lot of guts.
After that, we headed to the catacombs so I could show Spike all the No-Gems I discovered. You know, come to think of it, is that a good name for them? Given their metamorphic properties, I should have called them Every-Gems. Oh well, I told Spike they were No-Gems, and I guess I have to stick with that...
We stayed there for quite a while. Spike fell asleep, unsurprisingly. What was surprising was the dream that he had. I had left him alone to record some findings about the No-Gems when I heard him calling for me in his sleep like he was having a nightmare. I tried waking him up every way I could think of, but nothing worked. I tried using my magic to pull him out of his dream, but he started screaming like I was killing him. I was terrified. He snapped out of his nightmare before I was forced to probe his mind. It should go unsaid that I'm never feeding him those things again. At least not until I find out what happened. Maybe the No-Gems cause hallucinations in dragons. I have to record that before I forget and feed him those gems again. He says he fine; I say neigh.
Either way, we spent the rest of the night chatting about random things. He told me he would stay with me as long as I wanted him to, even when he was too big for the library. I know that eventually, he will leave on his own, no matter what he says now. Still, it's a nice sentiment to think about. And if he somehow chooses on his own to stay with me, he promised to take me up into the sky to see the stars up close. He's so sweet...I hope he keeps that promise. I would really love being up there. Over Ponyville. Just him and I...
What am I writing?! It's against the rules to think about your dragon that way! The Princess said so!...
...Still a mare can dream...I really need to stop writing. If I don't, I may write some things that could really get me into trouble with him and the Princess.


Twilight Sparkle